Air Freight Forwarding from London Heathrow
Acclaim Freight Services arranges air freight imports and exports for UK businesses from its own customs-approved facility beside London Heathrow. Screening, customs brokerage and temporary storage all sit under one roof, so your cargo moves between the aircraft and your premises without being passed from one handler to the next.
Air freight services from our Heathrow facility
As an IATA-accredited cargo agent and BIFA member (number 4309), we book space with airlines worldwide, prepare the air waybill and export paperwork, and clear imports through our own HMRC-approved External Temporary Storage Facility. Whether you are shipping a single urgent carton or a full aircraft load, our air freight shipping service has one team managing the booking, the paperwork and the delivery.
We provide international air freight and air cargo services for exporters and importers, from single cartons to charter loads.
Air freight exports
We collect from your premises or receive goods at our Heathrow facility, screen them in-house and present them to the airline ready to fly. Choose the service that fits the deadline and the budget:
- Consolidation – your cargo shares space with other shipments on a scheduled departure, which keeps the cost per kilo down.
- Next flight out – cargo is booked on the first available flight to the destination.
- Express – for small, urgent consignments.
- Door to door – we manage the whole movement, including collection, export customs, the flight and delivery at destination.
Air freight imports
Our team recovers cargo from the airlines at Heathrow around the clock and brings it to our facility for customs clearance. We run regular consolidation services from the USA, clear general cargo and Amazon FBA shipments, and deliver onward to your warehouse or to any of the 38 UK Amazon fulfilment centres, where we hold daily fixed delivery slots.
Urgent cargo, charter and onboard courier
Some cargo cannot wait for a scheduled departure or should never leave someone's hands. For these shipments we provide onboard courier services and dedicated aircraft charter for urgent and large-scale consignments. Our team also builds and breaks down ULDs, the pallets and containers used on aircraft, on site.
Dangerous goods and lithium batteries
Our Heathrow facility is CAA approved for handling dangerous goods. Many everyday products count as dangerous goods for air transport, including lithium batteries, aerosols, paints and some chemicals, and they must be classified, packed, labelled and declared to IATA rules before an airline will accept them. Tell us what the goods are when you ask for a quote and we will confirm how they need to be prepared.
Why our Heathrow facility matters for your air cargo
Our 125,000 sq ft facility at Unit 6, Mercury Centre, Central Way, Feltham, TW14 0RN, sits next to Heathrow Airport. Not every air freight company has its own screening, storage and customs approvals, and having all of them in one building is what keeps air cargo moving:
- In-house X-ray screening. Air cargo has to be secured or screened before it can be loaded. We carry out primary (X-ray) and secondary screening ourselves, so your export is ready to fly when it leaves our facility.
- An HMRC-approved External Temporary Storage Facility (ETSF). Imports can leave the airport promptly and be held and cleared at our facility, rather than waiting at an airline's shed.
- T1 discharge approval. Goods that arrive under a transit movement can be discharged and cleared here.
- In-house customs brokerage. Our brokers have a direct link to HMRC, so import and export declarations are made by the same team that handles the freight.
- An importer of record service. Overseas sellers shipping into the UK can use us as their importer of record.
- 24-hour airline recovery. Imports are collected from the airlines whenever they land, not only in office hours.
Read more about the Heathrow logistics hub.
How air freight works, from booking to delivery
- Quote and booking. You send the cargo details and we confirm the route, the service and the price, then book space with the airline.
- Collection. We collect from your premises, or you deliver to our Feltham facility.
- Screening and preparation. The cargo is X-rayed, labelled and, where needed, built onto airline pallets or containers.
- Export customs. We make the export declaration and issue the air waybill.
- The flight. The cargo flies on a passenger aircraft or a dedicated freighter, direct or via a connecting hub.
- Import customs. At destination, the cargo is cleared through customs and any duty and taxes are paid.
- Delivery. The goods are delivered to the consignee's door, or held for collection.
For imports into the UK, the same steps run in reverse: we recover the cargo from the airline at Heathrow, clear it at our facility and deliver it to you.
How much does air freight cost?
Air freight is charged per kilogram of chargeable weight, which is whichever is greater: the actual weight of the shipment or its volumetric weight. For air cargo, volumetric weight is usually calculated as length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 6,000, so one cubic metre is charged as 167 kg.
A worked example shows why this matters. A pallet measuring 120 × 100 × 150 cm has a volumetric weight of 300 kg (1,800,000 ÷ 6,000). If the pallet itself weighs 200 kg, you are charged for 300 kg, because the space it takes on the aircraft is worth more than its weight. You can work out volumetric weight before you book with our cubic calculator.
The rate per kilo depends on the route, the service level and the space available on the flights, and it moves with fuel costs and demand. The total cost of an air freight shipment usually includes:
- the air freight charge, based on the chargeable weight
- fuel and security surcharges
- screening and handling at origin and destination
- customs clearance at each end
- import duty and VAT, where due
- collection and delivery, if you choose a door-to-door service
Packing goods to reduce their volume, giving accurate dimensions and choosing consolidation where the deadline allows are the simplest ways to bring the cost down. Because rates change with the market, the reliable figure is a quote based on your cargo's dimensions, weight, route and required date.
How long does air freight take?
The flight itself is measured in hours, but the time from collection to delivery also depends on the next available departure, any connections on the route, security screening and customs clearance at both ends. As a guide, express and next flight out shipments to major destinations typically arrive in one to three days door to door, and consolidated shipments in three to seven days. Routes that need a connection, and destinations where clearance takes longer, can add time.
Having the commercial invoice, packing list and any licences ready before collection is the most effective way to avoid delays at customs. We confirm the expected transit time with every quote.
Documents you need for air freight
Most air freight shipments need:
- an air waybill, the contract of carriage, which we issue for the shipment
- a commercial invoice, showing the seller, buyer, value and description of the goods
- a packing list, with the number of packages, weights and dimensions
- an EORI number, which identifies your business to customs (UK numbers begin with GB)
- commodity codes for the goods, so that duty can be calculated correctly
Some goods also need an export licence, a certificate of origin or a dangerous goods declaration. We prepare the export declaration and the air waybill, check the rest of the paperwork before the cargo flies, and tell you if anything is missing.
Air freight or sea freight?
Air freight suits cargo that is urgent, high in value or small in volume, such as electronics, spare parts, samples and stock needed for a launch date. Sea freight costs far less per kilo and suits heavy or bulky cargo where the delivery date allows several weeks in transit.
- Choose air when the delivery date is fixed, the goods are valuable or the shipment is light for its value.
- Choose sea when the cargo is heavy or bulky and the timescale is flexible.
- Use both when you need some stock quickly: many importers fly the first units in and follow them with a sea freight shipment.
We handle sea freight through our customs-approved Southampton facility, so we can advise on the right split.
Industries we move by air
- Lighting. Light fittings, lamps and components, packed and handled with care and moved to meet project and stock deadlines.
- Garments. Fashion and clothing stock flown in for new-season launches and replenishment, cleared at Heathrow and delivered onward.
- Dried foods. Packaged dried foods imported and exported with the commodity codes and paperwork confirmed before the goods fly.
- Homewares. Household goods and decorative items, from fragile ceramics to bulky furnishings, with chargeable weight worked out before you book.
- Cosmetics. Beauty and personal care products, including items such as aerosols and perfumes that count as dangerous goods by air and are prepared under our CAA approval.
- E-commerce and Amazon sellers. We clear FBA shipments at Heathrow and deliver to all 38 UK Amazon fulfilment centres from daily fixed slots.
- High-value and fragile goods. Our fragile freight and white glove delivery service handles goods that need careful handling from the aircraft to the final destination.
Air freight FAQs
Request an air freight quote
To quote accurately, we need:
- where the cargo is going from and to
- the number of packages, with dimensions and weights
- a description of the goods, including any batteries or hazardous items
- the date the goods need to arrive
Choose Air Freight on the quote form or call us on 01753 251 015, and we will come back with a price and the expected transit time.
Heathrow
Unit 6, Mercury Centre
Central Way
Feltham
TW14 0RN
WCA ID #142961
Southampton
Unit A-C Griffin Industrial Park
Calmore Industrial Estate
Totton
Southampton
SO40 3SH
Portsmouth
F7 Fareham Heights
Standard Way
Fareham
Hampshire
PO16 8XT
Isle of Wight
New Barn Industrial Park
Newport Road
Merstone
Isle Of Wight
PO30 3BT
Basildon
Alexander House
Christy Court
Southfields Business Park
Basildon
SS15 6TL
Heathrow
Unit 6, Mercury Centre
Central Way
Feltham
TW14 0RN
WCA ID #142961
Southampton
Unit A-C Griffin Industrial Park
Calmore Industrial Estate
Totton
Southampton
SO40 3SH
Portsmouth
F7 Fareham Heights
Standard Way
Fareham
Hampshire
PO16 8XT
Isle of Wight
New Barn Industrial Park
Newport Road
Merstone
Isle of Wight
PO30 3BT
Basildon
Alexander House
Christy Court
Southfields Business Park
Basildon
SS15 6TL